Maryland Lands A Real Winner

COLLEGE PARK, MD. — Mark Duffner, who coached Holy Cross to a perfect record in 1991, was given a five-year contract Tuesday to revive the University of Maryland football program.

Duffner, 38, was 60-5-1 in six years at Division I-AA Holy Cross and 11-0 this year, giving him one of the highest winning percentages among active Division I coaches (.916).

``Our goal is to bring Maryland football back into a position of prominence,`` said Duffner, who grew up in nearby Annandale, Va. ``We will do this with great honesty and great integrity.``

But he said his formula for success would not be put on a fast track, and could conceivably take every bit of his contract, worth $120,000 annually, to reach its ultimate potential.

``We will work tirelessly to produce a football team that this university will be very proud of,`` he said. ``But this program, this strategy we have, is not going to be a 40-yard dash. I think you could probably equate it more to the mile run. It won`t be a quick fix.``

Duffner replaces Joe Krivak, who resigned Dec. 6 after five years as head coach. He was 20-34-2 in that span, 2-9 in 1991.